Low Cost, High Performance SPECT Detectors

Scintillation detectors, consisting of inorganic scintillation crystals coupled to PMTs, are an important element of medical imaging applications such as single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Performance as well as cost of these systems is limited by the properties of the scintillation detectors available at present. The goal of the proposed project is to investigate a new class of scintillation materials that can be fabricated using a low cost fabrication approach. The advantages expected from the proposed effort are higher performance and lower cost compared to existing scintillators used in SPECT. The Phase I project will be aimed at demonstrating the feasibility of producing high performance scintillators using a low cost fabrication approach. Samples of these scintillators will be produced and their performance will be evaluated. Commercial and Scientific Potential: Over and above use in medical imaging, the new scintillators will be commercially applicable to NDE, bore hole logging, industrial CT imaging, X-ray instrumentation, homeland security, and materials analysis. They will also be useful in particle and space physics experiments